•Time to talk • A challenge to the 3 Ds • Give and get • Save Po‘ipu Beach Time to talk This is the most outrageous and blatant misuse of power I’ve seen since Dictator Asing’s performance in assigning committee
•Time to talk
• A challenge to the 3 Ds
• Give and get
• Save Po‘ipu Beach
Time to talk
This is the most outrageous and blatant misuse of power I’ve seen since Dictator Asing’s performance in assigning committee appointments when the new council was elected (“Following the rules,” The Garden Island, June 4).
When elected officials feel perfectly justified in abusing power, it is the responsibility of the public to remove them from office.
Is this shades of D.C., where no amount of corruption or abuse of power warrants putting disciplinary action “on the table”? What manner of abuse are we willing to accept?
I hope as a community we will engage in a discussion through these pages on what is appropriate and what isn’t.
Judie Lundborg, Lihu‘e
A challenge to the 3 Ds
Once again, thanks to Michael Levine’s coverage of the goings-on at the County Council (“Following the rules,” The Garden Island, June 4), we the public are informed of the ruthless ways our public officials engage in to “silence dissidents” and impose their will on their fellow citizens.
What happened to all those pledges to practice aloha, act in the public interest, promote what is best for our community and beloved island, I ask.
I happened to attend the Nov. 24, 2008 council meeting and saw first-hand evidence of blatant disregard for proper lawful procedures, the display of the fruits of backroom politics in the preordained committee and council structure (preprinted with numerous copies handed out, no less), and how those that dare oppose or question procedure could be “punished.”
Our then-Mayor and now-Council Chair Asing once again has chosen to unfold the various political tricks and iron determination hitherto napping under his cloak, to impose his will on fellow council members and on us, the public, whose interest he has vowed to serve and protect.
I now, like in the days of yore, throw the gauntlet at the 3 D’s (Dickie Chang, Daryl Kaneshiro, Derek Kawakami), to rise up and challenge what is evidently so wrong.
Council members Bynum and Kawahara are trying against overwhelming odds to engage the public in government by opening up “… county attorney’s opinions to public scrutiny … clarify process to release confidential documents … put minutes on the Internet,” to name a few changes to the status quo.
These all sound good, educational, informative, and, believe it or not, democracy in action.
I appeal to you to start thinking for yourselves, return the power to the people, your own friends and neighbors who can only make right choices if provided full and truthful information. Let’s all live aloha like we mean it.
Elli Ward, Lihu‘e
Give and get
I have become quite tired of haoles’ complaints about the lack of aloha spirit here (“I still love you Kaua‘i,” Letters, June 1).
I have always been treated with aloha and have many local friends.
Aloha is not phony. In order to receive aloha you need to give it.
A few questions for you: When you came here did you try to pronounce the names correctly? Did you learn something of the culture and appreciate what you learned? Do you shop local? Go to local events? Do you smile at strangers? Do you help people? Treat others with kindness?
In order for you to receive aloha, you must also give aloha. You no give aloha, you no get aloha.
Janice Weiner, Kalaheo
Save Po‘ipu Beach
I was glad to see the May 27 story in The Garden Island on erosion at Po‘ipu Beach and elsewhere.
When we first visited Kaua‘i in 1970, there was a robust peninsula connecting Nukumoi Point to the rest of Po‘ipu Beach Park: red dirt and grass out to about the current shoreline, then grassed-over sand, with bare sand only near the end.
Then Hurricane Iwa took much of it away. It had not recovered (perhaps because of changes in the seawall) before Iniki hit. Some sand did come back and went out again.
When the last of the tombolo washed out, a destructive and dangerous current appeared between the point and main beach, further accelerating erosion. Just about anything that blocks that current would improve things now.
Sand from Kekaha might help for a while, but it will wash down to Sheraton beach, too. Serious continuing effort will be required to save Po‘ipu Beach, not just talk and dithering.
It still is a great place, but not what it was, even three years ago. When can we expect action, and from whom?
Marc Levenson, Koloa
